Indigenismo, Indianismo and 'Ethnic Citizenship' in Chiapas

Abstract

The peasant organization has played a central part in the conflict in Chiapas, and to understand this role it is necessary it is necessary to contextualize it historically. To this end, this chapter examines three areas of that history. First, it highlights some aspects of the relationship between struggles for autonomy, indigenismo, and indianismo . Second, the chapter looks at the role played by indianista leaders in the construction of the socio-political networks that maintained and encouraged Zapatismo at the local, national and international level. And third, it scrutinizes the relationship between the struggles for autonomy, indigenismo and the politics of identity. The object is to show how and why present-day indigenous struggles for autonomy and self-determination are rooted in ‘old’ quests for ethnic citizenship, which were led initially by earlier indianista organizations and leaders. For those believing in particularism or communitarianism, universalist claims are overridden by ethnic citizenship.

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